Construction on the Sawmill and Woodmill properties along Adam Tas Road, which commenced in February 2021, has caused confusion among local residents.
This was according to Adri van Zyl, a resident of Devon Park in Stellenbosch. The Sawmill and Woodmill sites are adjacent properties in Onder Papegaaiberg, previously owned by Steinhoff, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson of Stellenbosch Municipality. The municipality approved road upgrades around these properties in 2020, said Grobbelaar.
Construction on the Sawmill property along Adam Tas road in Stellenbosch began in February 2021, after being delayed since 2016, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson of Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Jana Scheepers
“Both the Sawmill and Woodmill have been sold. However, the deal is not yet unconditional,” said Chris Kruis, property development executive at Steinhoff. Until the finalisation of the sale in October, information on the new owners cannot be disclosed, said Kruis.
The initial application by Steinhoff to renovate the properties was approved by Stellenbosch Municipality in 2016, according to Grobbelaar. The application was for rezoning the Woodmill site. It involved plans for construction on the adjacent Sawmill property, with the goal of merging both properties for business, residential and commercial use, explained Grobbelaar.
The new owners are continuing with the approved renovations, as planned by Steinhoff, added Grobbelaar.
The Woodmill property on Vredenburg road hosts the Stellenbrau brewery, as well as a coffee shop and a few retail stores. The property also includes office spaces and residential flats. PHOTO: Jana Scheepers
“How I understand it, is that the development will become like another Die Boord, but with housing as well,” said a resident of Devon Park, who preferred to stay anonymous.
Due to the large scale of the proposed development, road upgrades are also underway in Devon Valley and Vredenburg Road, according to Grobbelaar.
“Recommendations made by the Traffic Impact Study required a number of existing intersections to be upgraded and realigned to deal with the additional traffic volumes that would be generated by the proposed development,” explained Grobbelaar.
The ongoing process of upgrading Devon Valley Road to better intersect with Adam Tas and Vredenburg Road through traffic circles is intended to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic to the Sawmill and Woodmill properties. This is according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson of Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Jana Scheepers
Community concerns
While some residents of Devon Park and Onder Papegaaiberg were not opposed to the renovations on the Sawmill and Woodmill properties, they are concerned about the municipality’s reluctance to share relevant details pertaining to these developments with the public, according to Van Zyl.
“[Devon Park] residents are by no means unhappy about the construction and upgrade to the properties, we are just concerned that the municipality provides no answers to us [Devon Park residents],” said Van Zyl.
The first time the community became aware of the construction plans was on 28 January 2016, when a community meeting was held with Johannie Serdyn, the councillor of Ward 11, and representatives of the municipality, according to the anonymous source. The meeting was held to discuss the proposed development, they said.
MatieMedia reached out to Serdyn, who referred the publication to Grobbelaar.
The development plans lay dormant until February 2021. The recent revival of renovation efforts has prompted new questions in the community, according to the anonymous source.
“We just want to know what is being built, if it is going to be safe, and what type of housing is being constructed,” said Van Zyl.
The ongoing construction on Adam Tas Road, which was recommended by a traffic impact study in order to better accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic to the Sawmill and Woodmill properties, is exacerbating traffic congestion in Onder Papegaaiberg, according to two residents of Devon Park. PHOTO: Jana Scheepers
MatieMedia reached out to Grobbelaar about residents of Devon Park claiming poor communication on the development. Grobbelaar had not responded at the time of publishing.